Blade Saga
by Kat Warrior1
Summary: When Tily is captured by an unknown force, Rayman and company set out to find her. Sound simple? It is until Rayman finds a certain sword that adds a confusing and dark element to their adventure...
1. Arachnid Rises

Blade Saga  
Part One: Arachnid Arises  
By Kat Warrior  
  
A/N: I'm using almost all characters I can think of here (well good guys, anyway), including those from a game that had no part in the Rayman storyline, Rayman Rush. Yes, I'm going to use Tily and possibly Uglette (Whose name was changed to Globette in RR for some reason.). Anyway, I don't know if Tily the fairy is related to Ly, but I would assume so since they look alike. Like I said, I don't know, so don't go around with the belief that Ubisoft has declared them sisters, OK? Most characters in this chapter are © to Ubisoft.  
  
***  
  
Rayman moaned in sleepy irritation when he felt something nudging at him. He had planned on sleeping rather late that morning, but it didn't seem his plans would work. But he was determined, so he would make those plans work. He continued to pretend to sleep and refused to open his eyes. Sleep. that was all he wanted.  
  
Whoever was trying to wake him certainly was persistent. They had started rolling him and he guessed that he was no nowhere near the tree he'd fallen asleep under. Especially since the terrain had gone from grassy to sandy. Sand. they were pushing him into the water!  
  
He jumped up and landed on his feet, panting and scanning the area for whoever had been trying to get him up. His sharp eyes found Tily, Ly's kid sister.  
  
"Sleepy head!" she accused, pointing a short finger at him, "You can't sleep all day!"  
  
"I could have if you didn't wake me up!" he informed her, putting his hands indignantly on his hips. "Why'd you do that, anyway?"  
  
"Because, Ly says that the early bird gets the worm! And anyway, you need to protect the forest. It's your job, remember?"  
  
"If worms are all those birds have to look forward to, why do they get up so early?" Rayman mumbled, and then he spoke to Tily directly. "Alright then, Tily, I'm awake and watching the forest. Happy?" Even though he argued with her like he would a sibling, Rayman was rather fond of Tily. She had a lot of spunk, and was tough competition in a race.  
  
"Sure I'm happy!" she declared, smiling broadly, and then fluttered off, more than likely to find her sister and learn something from her.  
  
Rayman sighed and scanned the beautiful scenery around the pond, his favorite place. Judging by the position of the sun, it was about nine in the morning, Things could have been worse; Tily could have tried waking him up three hours earlier. It was a pleasant morning anyway, so at least he could enjoy what was left of it.  
  
"Nothing dampens your spirits, eh Rayman?" a high, male voice asked as Murphy fluttered into view. "Not even being woken up by some obnoxious fairy-kid?"  
  
"I guess not," Rayman replied with a smile as he started looking for his shoes. Nothing dampened his spirits except maybe Murphy's mouth. The little green guy irritated him to no end, but he always tried his hardest not to be rude about it.  
  
Rayman found his shoes and slipped them on, wondering what he would do that day. Ever since the forest fire, he had spend a great deal of time helping re-plant some things and hauling wood off to be stored and used to make fires in the winter. But just as Ly had predicted, the forest was recovering nicely, and so had Rayman from the nasty bump he'd gotten on the head. The teensies hadn't been as mad with him about the whole incident as he would have thought, which was good. When the teensies were angry practically the whole world felt it.  
  
"Rayman!" Globox's voice called out as the pudgy blue frog-like creature came rushing into the pond clearing, "Ly wants us to come help her trans- plant some saplings."  
  
"Alright," Rayman replied, finally having his shoes on, "What are we waiting for, then?"  
  
Globox hurried off in the direction he had come from, trailed closely by Rayman and Murphy. In a very short time, they found Ly and Tily, working hard in an ash-covered clearing as they helped tiny trees adapt to their new surroundings.  
  
"Welcome," Ly said as she looked up at the newly arrived helpers, "One of my cousins from another forest was kind enough to donate all of these young trees to us. If we work quickly we should have them all planted by supper time."  
  
Rayman, Globox, and even Murphy set to work immediately. Rayman would dig the holes, move the tiny tree into it, and cover its roots with the dirt. Globox would water them and dig some holes as well. Murphy supervised.  
  
"Ya know, you could actually help out here, Murphy," Globox informed him after he finished watering another sapling.  
  
"I'm helping!" he declared, "Where would you be without me here to tell you what to do?"  
  
"They would be enjoying themselves more!" Tily replied sharply, "You should stop being so lazy and help!"  
  
"That's enough, now," Ly interjected, "The trees won't grow well if they sense anger while they're being planted. We're almost done now, and this clearing is already looking beautiful!"  
  
The clearing did, indeed, look beautiful. Sunlight was pouring in through the large over-head gap that had once been covered by tree branches. The natural lighting might have been hot, but it added cheer to the soot and ashes remaining from the fire, and offered hope that the saplings would do well replacing their predecessors.  
  
"This place is so pretty!" Tily chimed, as she looked over their hard work. "Maybe the fire was a good thing!"  
  
"Yes, in a way it was," Ly agreed, "Many of the trees here were old and dying. These new ones may take quite a while to grow, but they will do well in replacing the others. Fires always open doors for new life, and this one provided us with wood to burn in the winter"  
  
A soft, summer breeze brought the smell of rain to the air, refreshing those who were hot and sweaty from actually working. All it did for Murphy was send him flying into the woods.  
  
"Let's go down to the pond for a swim," Rayman suggested, wiping his damp hair out of his eyes, "That cold water sounds mighty refreshing right now!"  
  
Before he could say another word, Globox whizzed past him and down to the pond, trailed closely by Tily.  
  
"Race you!" she called over her shoulder.  
  
***  
  
The pond was, indeed, refreshing. Even when the light rain did come in, no one got out of the water. If anything, it made for a wonderful, peaceful setting. The look of the millions of tiny rain drops on the water's surface accompanied by the soft mist rising from it gave it a ghostly but secure feeling. This made a perfect set-up for a game of Marco-polo.  
  
But, during Rayman's turn, something went wrong.  
  
"Marco!" he called out, and was answered by several voices shouting "Polo!" Strangely, he didn't hear Tily's voice respond.  
  
"Marco!" he called again, swimming clumsily in the direction Ly's voice had come from.  
  
"Polo!" the voices replied, Ly's being surprisingly far away. Again, he didn't hear Tily. He formed the time-out signal with his hands and opened his eyes.  
  
"Where's Tily?" he asked, "Did she get out of the water?"  
  
Everyone else looked about in confusion. Where had she gone to? It was likely that she was simply playing a trick on them, but still.  
  
"Tily!" Ly called out, "Stop joking around, now! Please, show yourself if you can hear me!"  
  
Nothing. Then, something.  
  
A faint "Help me!" seemed to be coming from somewhere. Under the water? Rayman dove down, scanning the world beneath the surface. He spotted an odd, large air bubble, being pulled away by some strange current. He almost opened his mouth in shock when he realized Tily was trapped in the bubble. He surfaced quickly to get some air before diving again.  
  
Ly noticed his stress and followed him. Not wanting to sit idly while there was trouble, Globox swallowed his terror and dove after them. Maybe this would bring him one step closer to being the hero he dreamed of becoming. Murphy was left alone on the surface, since he wasn't a very good swimmer.  
  
Rayman followed the bubble as quickly as he possibly could, which was quite fast thanks to his propeller-like hair. He zoomed through the current, leaving Ly and Globox far behind. He could see Tily clearly, and see how terrified she looked. At least she could breathe. If Rayman didn't hurry, he'd have to surface and then he'd lose her.  
  
"Rayman!" he heard her call, "Please save me! It's the man Ly told me about. Please save me!"  
  
Rayman didn't have time to let her information sink in, he just kept going, unaware of how deep he was, not caring that he had long ago entered and under-water cavern and might never emerge again. Even though he was sincerely focused on saving Tily, something caught his attention.  
  
They were coming upon an oddly-formed shadow that seemed to be the source of the odd current that was sucking Tily's air-bubble in. The shadow moved as they approached, and Rayman felt a horrible chill run down his back. But he brushed it off. Tily needed him and he was almost to her. He reached his hand out to her, and at the instant was struck by something. The last thing he saw the shadow vanishing, and taking Tily with it.  
  
***  
  
When he opened his eyes and saw bright daylight, he almost broke into sobs. Tily hadn't woken him that morning. What he'd seen wasn't just a dream; she really was gone. He hadn't been able to save her. But someone had saved him.  
  
He had doubted that he would ever see daylight again, but he hadn't cared if had meant getting Tily free. But now he was seeing daylight and he hadn't succeeded. This was an odd sort of daylight, too. Stifled by a curtain. He was in a hut somewhere.  
  
"You gave us a scare," Ly's soft voice told him. "When Globox and I caught up to you, you were floating in an unconscious state." Tily had been nowhere in sight, but she left that detail out. He was probably well aware of that fact. "Did you pass out from lack of oxygen or was it something else?"  
  
"S-something else," he stuttered, "A shadow. something struck me. Tily said it was the man you told her about."  
  
He sat up and looked at Ly who was perched daintily on the edge of his bed. She was quietly looking at her lap, thinking and reflecting. The man she had told Tily about...  
  
"I think I know," she whispered suddenly, "I told her once about an odd man. Arachnid was his name. It was said that he once invaded the Fairy Council and captured nearly all of those living in it. He took their powers to help the beautiful, good things grow and turned it into something twisted, something to make strangling vines, thorns, and weeds grow. He turned almost the whole world into a poisoned, empty wasteland before one of the few fairies he had missed created a special sword and used it to wound him and trap in the heart of a mountain.  
  
"I didn't think Tily would remember the story, but it seems that she did, and that has helped us greatly. If it really was Arachnid, then we might not be too late. But I don't see why he captured her. She's only one, young fairy, and her powers aren't fully developed."  
  
Rayman felt the spark of hope within him grow into a flame. If they knew what they were up against and knew how to stop it, then Tily could be rescued. That sword Ly had mentioned. he had to find it.  
  
"Where can I find that sword, Ly?" he asked eagerly, hopping out of the bed and beginning to search for his shoes.  
  
"It's hard to get to," she informed him, "After it was used to defeat Arachnid it was taken by some young philosopher. He messed around with it for a bit for some reasons unknown, but he wasn't ever seen again. He brought it up into some mountains that were very far from where Arachnid was trapped. The fairy that made it didn't worry about him taking it too much since he knew where it was and figured the philosopher would bring it back some time. There was a cave-in at the mountain he was in, however, and that's why he hasn't been heard from. A few treasure hunters have tried getting the sword for their collections, but they all gave up."  
  
"But were they trying to get it to save someone with?" he asked, cramming a shoe onto his foot. "Those treasure-hunters might be quitters, but I'm not. Especially when someone like Tily is in trouble."  
  
Ly smiled for the first time since her sister had been taken away. That was one of many things she really admired about him; his ability to hope, to change from despair into eager readiness in the blink of an eye. And then there was his persistency. Some might call him stubborn, but she didn't. She called him determined. That determination was obvious in his large, dark eyes now.  
  
"I'll come with you," she volunteered, standing. "This is a journey you can't face alone. After all, it's my sister that we're fighting for.  
  
He looked up at her and smiled; another one of his features that she rather liked. "Thanks."  
  
***  
  
Globox was beyond excited. He was going on an adventure with Rayman. Unlike before when he had swallowed André, he was going of his own accord and to be helpful, not because he needed help. Or at least he hoped to be helpful. He couldn't stand the thought of getting in his best friend's way.  
  
"Do be careful!" Uglette pleaded as she threw her wiry arms around him, "And don't go swallowing anything dangerous, now!"  
  
"Daddy's going on an adventure!" a few of their children piped, their little voices barely audible squeaks. They seemed as excited as Globox himself. They could hardly wait to tell others that their father was going on an adventure.  
  
"Come on, Globox!" Rayman called, "We've got a sword to find and a little fairy to save!"  
  
Globox said good-bye to the small part of his large family and hurried after Ly and Rayman. The threesome turned and gave a final parting wave to their farewell party before disappearing into the foliage.  
  
END PART ONE  
  
Well, am I off to a good start? I hope so! Now, not all of the chapters will be this length, but probably not much shorter or longer. Arachnid and the events concerning him belong to me. Please inform me of any typos and I'll fix them eventually. 


	2. The Blade That Twists Plots

Blade Saga  
Part Two: The Blade That Twists Plots  
By Kat Warrior  
  
Author's note will be at the end.  
  
The mountains were cold in comparison to the forest, which the three travelers actually found refreshing. Traveling in the heat of the lower elevations had tired them out much more easily, slowing their pace. But as they got higher, the air got cooler and made traveling almost pleasant. The journey could have been enjoyable had their objective not been a serious one.  
  
"We'll have to take this hike again when we have Tily back," Rayman commented, "I bet she'd love it up here. The view is awesome, and the air feels almost magical."  
  
"It does," Ly agreed, smiling as she looked out over the forest below. "Mountain air does seem to be enchanted, doesn't it? But it does to all forest creatures. Trees are beautiful things, but they can be a bit stifling, I suppose. To woods-dwellers like us, this air is quite special."  
  
Globox took a deep, satisfied breath. He didn't think he'd ever taken an enjoyable trip up to the mountains. In fact, the only time had been when he and Rayman were trying to save the world from Andre. He'd gotten captured that time, but he wouldn't let it happen again. He had to be useful.  
  
"It's getting chilly up here," Rayman commented, pulling his hood up over his head. "That's on odd feeling when you know it's really summer."  
  
Ly stopped and fished a blue sweater out of her bag while Globox took a ski- cap out that had holes cut in it for his eyes. Uglette had insisted on him taking it and now he was glad that she had.  
  
"This just feels so awkward!" Rayman declared with a laugh when he looked over the three of them, "But let's keep going, huh? I want to be as close to that cave as possible when night comes. I've got a feeling that these mountains aren't too friendly at night."  
  
"Indeed, they aren't," Ly agreed, "Some of my kin watch over them some times, and wolves like to prowl around here after dark looking for something that's strayed from its pack or herd. However, unless hunting has been bad for them of late, the wolves should leave us alone."  
  
"I hope they've had a good meal recently," Rayman murmured as they kept walking. Globox didn't say anything, but it was obvious that he was nervous. He'd never seen a wolf before, but he'd heard about them and how dangerous they could be.  
  
***  
  
Tily lay curled up at the bottom of her cage. She was still terrified, but she had stopped crying long ago. She was just too tired to do that anymore. She just wanted to be at home with Ly, Rayman, Globox, and even Murphy.  
  
She lifted her head when she heard something moving in the shadows of the poorly lit room. She didn't doubt for a moment that it was Arachnid or one of his children scurrying around. She had thought she knew what they wanted when they had captured her, based on the story Ly had told her, but now she wasn't so sure. She'd been placed in a cage and ignored for the most part.  
  
Tily forced herself to sit up and peer out into the darkness.  
  
"Is someone out there?" she asked.  
  
"Yeah. me," a quiet but irritated voice replied, "What do you want, fairy, more bread?"  
  
"No," she informed the voice, "I want to know why I'm here. Is it to give Arachnid power so he can make bad things grow like before?"  
  
"You're a smart one," the voice admitted, "But no. We might use you for that when you get older, but for now we're hoping to draw Rayman to you. He has some pretty awesome powers too, you see, so he can also be helpful. Once we have him, getting your big sister Ly should be a snap. She is the most powerful fairy out there, you know."  
  
Tily was quiet for a moment, letting it sink in. Then she spoke.  
  
"I don't think it'll work," she informed the voice. "I'll bet Rayman can see right through your trick. He's pretty smart, you know. And anyway, there's nothing you could do to make him use his powers for bad."  
  
The voice chuckled. Had it not belonged to one of her captors, Tily would have called it a friendly voice. "We don't need him to use his powers," the voice told her, "We didn't use the fairies themselves before, either. We have other means. but you'll find that out in due time. Now just go back to sleep. Your only job is to be a guest and bait, so you have nothing to fear."  
  
Tily sighed and curled up again. She hoped that Rayman wouldn't fall for the trap. But neither Tily nor her captors knew that he was searching for the sword that had defeated Arachnid the first time around.  
  
***  
  
Rayman rolled over in his sleeping bag and looked at the fire. It was dwindling slowly, but he didn't want to get up and tend it quite yet. A wolf howled not far off, startling him. He calmed soon however, not letting himself worry about being the wolf's meal. If only he knew the language of wolves as Ly did, but she was fast asleep.  
  
A wolf howled again, closer this time. Its howl echoed over the mountains, a lonely, sad sound. And yet, victorious some how.  
  
Globox and Ly were both awake now, looking around in sleepy confusion. When the wolf howled again, even closer, Ly became panicked.  
  
"Quickly, Rayman!" she urged, "Add to the fire! We must be able to see them! They're hungry. they've had bad hunting of late!"  
  
Obediently, Rayman added wood to the fire and poked at it with a stick, keeping his wits about him all the while. He didn't think the wolves would like him much, but Ly and Globox could easily be their targets. But perhaps if they were desperate enough, they would go for him, too.  
  
Rayman stood, preparing to fight the wild animals off. He didn't want to kill them or badly injured them, but his friends needed to be protected.  
  
One wolf snarled as it shook the water out of its fur that had come from one of Globox's small rain clouds. Another one scurried away, having been hit by and energy blast from Ly. Rayman charged his fist and flung it at the biggest wolf he could find, hoping that it was the pack's leader.  
  
The large wolf yelped and then snarled when it was hit. It stood there a moment, gazing at Rayman with its amber eyes. Not wanting to take his eyes off of his enemy, Rayman stared back, unsure of what to do. They remained that way for a few minutes, the chaos around them quickly dying down until stillness was brought back to the night air.  
  
The wolf broke the gaze and then turned to leave, the pack following it. Just before vanishing over a hill, the wolf glanced back at Rayman for a brief moment. Rayman continued to gaze back until the wolves were all gone.  
  
"You should feel honored, Rayman," Ly said quietly, "The Alpha wolf honors you now. You proved to be very brave. The Alpha might even have his pack protect us on our journey."  
  
Rayman turned to look at her quizzically. "Really? All I did was stare at him."  
  
"Yes," she agreed, "But before that you had the courage to strike him to protect your friends, your pack if you will. And then by standing tall and staring him down you proved your courage."  
  
"Let's get back to sleep before anything else happens," Globox suggested, "I'm still sleepy." He emphasized this statement with a large yawn.  
  
They all settled into their sleeping bags again, hoping that they wouldn't be interrupted again until morning.  
  
***  
  
Morning came only a few hours after the attack from the wolves, but the small group of travelers didn't rise with the sun. They were still exhausted and since the cave wasn't too far from where they were, they had silently agreed on sleeping in.  
  
Their late breakfast wasn't much, but they were all too tired to care. Even Ly seemed exhausted. Rayman hadn't thought it possible for fairies to become tired, but he was being proven wrong. Ly wasn't bitter or surly, but she was quite and moved slowly.  
  
"How far is it to the cave? And how will we know which one it is?" Globox wanted to know.  
  
"Not far at all," Ly informed him, her voice quiet and tired, "We should reach it in about two hours. We'll know the cave by the little shrine just outside the entrance. Of course, the cave has been re-created by mortal hands so it is assumed that the place where that philosopher was staying hasn't been re-opened yet. You may have to find your own way through, Rayman."  
  
"I will," he assured her with a smile. He looked at his fist and said, "I might not have dynamite or any of those other fancy explosives, but I think these hands will do me plenty of good."  
  
"Let us hope so for Tily's sake, and possibly the sake of our world," Ly sighed.  
  
***  
  
Ly's estimation was correct, as they reached the cave in two hours exactly. The sun was close to being directly over-head, letting the group of travelers know that it was close to noon. They ate a quick snack for lunch, and then planned out their trip into the cave.  
  
"The passage is narrow," Ly informed her comrades, "Only one of us will be able to go in. Two of us could go in, but it would have to be single-file and would be very inconvenient." She looked at Rayman. "Are you willing to do it?"  
  
"I was born willing!" he replied eagerly. He stood and walked up to the opening. He looked into the cave as far as his eyesight would allow, and then to the small shrine. A small, white marble headstone was settled just about a foot from the entrance with the philosopher's name inscribed on it along with a few other words. "Chasm- His determination inspired us all." Bright, exotic flowers that seemed to have come from Rayman's home forest were tied to the stone, indicating that someone had recently visited.  
  
Rayman turned to Ly and Globox, smiled at them, and then turned and entered the cave. When the darkness enveloped him, the white ring on his stomach started to glow, providing him with the necessary light to travel the rest of the way through the cave. He was rather shocked with this, wondering why it hadn't happened before. But perhaps it was because his travels hadn't taken him into such a poorly-lit cave before.  
  
His every foot-step echoed through the dark emptiness of the cavern, and every now and then he would stop to see if someone was following him. But every time he turned around, he was alone. If someone had been following him, he would have seen them as the cave offered no places to hide.  
  
As he walked, he was grateful that the cave went straight and that there were no decisions to make concerning whether to go left or right. The people who had dug the cave hadn't been fools. In a short time, he came to a dead end. He pushed against the wall and kicked it, to see if the rocks blocking his path would easily crumble. A few pebbles came loose, but nothing else happened.  
  
Rayman wasn't ready to use his fists yet, so he started climbing around on the rocks, searching for a peep hole. He found one, and small though it was, he tried to look through it. Rather than seeing more rocks, he saw black emptiness. That must have been where the sword was.  
  
He leapt off the wall and took several steps back, powering up his fist. When his swirling hand became too much for even him to handle, he let it fly into the wall. Even as the rocks crumbled and fell, he ran the way he had come to avoid being buried.  
  
It took several minutes for the rocks to settle and the dust to clear, but when it did Rayman was able to see into what looked to be a gigantic room. He helicoptered over the mess of rocks and into the new area, looking about in wonder. The many lanterns, bags, and other utensils hanging on the walls along with the shelves of dusty, crumbling books indicated that someone, a philosopher, had once lived there. Rayman knew that he had also died there. He was afraid of finding a skeleton, but there was none. Had Chasm completely decayed already?  
  
His eyes fell upon an object that caught the light of his stomach ring. He approached it carefully, hoping that it was the sword he had come for. After bushing several burlap sacks away and dusting his find off, Rayman was pleased to discover a wonderfully made sword. The blade shown a beautiful blue, and the handle proved to be a sparkling gold with delicate designs molded into it. Surely it had taken the maker years, even decades to complete.  
  
Rayman yelped sharply when, despite how careful he was being in handling the sword, the blade made a slit through the glove and the flesh on his left hand. He instinctively dropped the sword to examine the wound. Surely the blade was filthy from years of neglect and would more than likely cause infection.  
  
The cut wasn't deep, but it still stung greatly. Even as he tried to stop the small amount of bleeding, he noticed that the sword was glowing, and not just from the light emitting from his own body.  
  
The glow grew from soft to blinding, and Rayman was forced to cover his eyes with his hand. What was happening? Was the sword alive with his blood? When the light died down, Rayman removed his hands and looked around. It was all he could do to keep from hollering in shock when he saw someone standing before him looking the sword over. What surprised him even more was that it was a person like him.  
  
"Who are you?" he ventured, "Are you what made the sword glow?"  
  
The stranger looked up, revealing his bright red eyes that were far from hidden behind his long, black forelock. His skin looked at if it was snow- white, but that could have been the room's lighting.  
  
"We both are," he answered to Rayman's second questing, his voice surprisingly low. "I was trapped in it from spilling my blood on it, and your blood freed me from it. I can't thank you enough for that, but now we are drawing life from each other. That means that either one or both of us has to die."  
  
Rayman was quite, not sure of what he should think. He'd cut himself and freed someone who had been trapped in the sword that he needed to save Tily with. And this stranger was convinced that either one or both of them had to die. Was he hallucinating? Had he actually been knocked out by the sword's light and was dreaming?  
  
"But. who are you?" he asked again.  
  
The stranger looked at him for a long time, his expression stoic. "I'm Chasm."  
  
END PART TWO  
  
A/N: Well, there ya have it. Rayman has finally found the sword, but it's caused the whole adventure to go from simple to complex and even more dangerous. And just what kind of person is Chasm and what did he mean? I guess you'll find out next chapter. Chasm, Arachnid, and his children belong to me. Everyone else belongs to Ubi Soft Entertainment. 


	3. Dekum and Chasm

Blade Saga  
Part Three: Chasm and Dekum  
By Kat Warrior  
  
"So, we're drawing life from each other?" Rayman asked. As many times as he turned what Chasm said over in his mind, it didn't make any sense at all. How was that possible? Chasm had explained it, but it was still just too strange to him.  
  
"That's right," Chasm replied, "Our blood mixed on the sword you have in your hands. That makes us brothers in a sense, but because of that, and because you freed me, we are currently drawing oxygen, blood, and nutrition from each other. While that might not affect either of us right now, we're becoming weaker and weaker. This will continue until we're both dead, unless."  
  
"Unless?" Rayman echoed, "Unless what? How do we stop it? Didn't you say before that one of us must die?"  
  
"That's right. One of us would have to kill the other. We could die from other causes, yes, but unless one kills the other, the one who died would still be taking from the one who was alive. Do you understand now?" Chasm was trying not to sound impatient or rude, but explaining the fact that they were both practically on Death Row made him edgy.  
  
Rayman sighed. "So I guess we have to fight each other, huh? Well, to be honest I don't have the time. I need this sword to save a friend of mine."  
  
"And I have some freedom to enjoy," Chasm added, "We do have some time, you know. This thing won't kill us for at least three days. We'll grow weaker and weaker during that time, but at least we know our deadline. no pun intended."  
  
"So, I guess we'll have to meet up again after I save me friend then," Rayman decided, "After that, I can accept death I guess. Unless I die saving her."  
  
"Let's hope for both our sakes that you don't," Chasm said as he started out of the cave, "Now if you'll excuse me I've been in here quite long enough." Frustrated and unsure about the situation, Rayman followed him.  
  
As they neared the cave's exit, Rayman was able to get a better look at Chasm. Even walking behind him he could pick out some details about him. His skin was indeed snow-white, and his garment was a tattered brown shirt. He had on plain black shoes and fingerless gloves. His attire far from suggested his background, or at least his background as Ly had described it.  
  
"Hey! You're not Rayman!" Globox's surprised voice declared as they stepped out, "What did you do with him?"  
  
"I'm right here!" Rayman called to him with a smile, exiting the cave right behind Chasm, "This is Chasm. I freed him from this." Rayman held up the sword, the sunlight causing the smooth, blue surface to glow.  
  
"Hey, nice sword!" Globox declared, "Is that what we came all the way up here for? Well, I'd say it was worth it!"  
  
As Globox chattered on about the weapon, Ly approached Chasm.  
  
"Are you the one Grandfather told us about?" she asked quietly, "Our grandfather spoke of you many times; the one who went up into the mountains to study the sword that helped deliver our people and was trapped while up there."  
  
"Yes," he replied, "I'm Chasm, the philosopher. Surely you must be Dekum's kin. You look very much like him and his wife, Iris."  
  
"That's right," she answered, "The one who made the sword is my grandfather. He's still alive, you know. When he tells us stories with you in them I can tell that he was very fond of you."  
  
Chasm was silent for a while. He glanced over at Rayman and Globox, still looking over the sword and discussing it. Then he looked back at Ly. "So Dekum is still alive. That's good to hear. But I must warn you, Miss, that Rayman and I are drawing life from one another. In the next few days, he may start becoming weaker for no apparent reason. So will I. You'll need to give him extra support if you want to save your comrade." He looked around the terrain, lost in though. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have at least one hundred years to catch up on before it's too late."  
  
Chasm very politely dismissed himself from the group and took off at an impressive speed down the hill. Rayman and his friends watched him silently until Globox spoke.  
  
"Should we go after him?" he asked eagerly.  
  
"Nah," Rayman replied, "He's not going to hurt anything. not in a way that we can prevent, anyway. Well, we're killing time just standing here. Ly, where do you think Arachnid is?"  
  
"We should start looking at the mountain he was trapped in. Hopefully we'll find a clue as to how he got out and where he escaped to. We could start by going back down the mountain around it, but it would be shorter to go over the mountain and down the other side, though going over and down will most likely prove to be more difficult and tiring." She turned to Rayman. "In the condition you might be in, going around might be even more hazardous."  
  
Rayman sighed. "Don't worry about it, Ly. If we hurry, I should be just fine by the time we get to that other mountain. Well, let's go!"  
  
"Rayman!" Globox called as they set off at a quick walk, "What did Ly mean? Is there something wrong with you?"  
  
Rayman looked up at him with sad eyes. He didn't want to tell Globox he was dying, but he couldn't bring himself to lie to his best friend, either.  
  
"Well, Globox, I hope you're ready to listen, because this explanation could take a while."  
  
***  
  
Chasm, despite knowing that he was dying, couldn't help but smile as he rushed down the mountain. He had thought that everyone he had known in his life would be dead, but there was hope. If Dekum was alive, he might be able to help both him and Rayman out of their predicament. He just hoped the old fairy would recognize him and not think himself to be dreaming or hallucinating.  
  
He neared the bottom of the mountain and was able to see the forest in much better detail. It had changed a great deal in one hundred years, and his smile turned to a frown when he noted that there had been a fire rather recently. Perhaps Dekum could explain it to him.  
  
When Chasm was finally under the shelter of the trees, he took a break. He had been running for the past few minutes and was rather tired. He let his body drop to the ground rather gracelessly at the trunk of a tree and closed his eyes. Normally, with such dire situations as the one he was in, Chasm would have been in a hurry to see his old friend. But, also being rather wise, he knew that unless he rested he would be too tired to speak with Dekum.  
  
***  
  
The three travelers managed to get over the peak of the mountain and start down the other side without any problems. Rayman knew he was weakening, but was glad that he couldn't feel it yet. He still felt strong, and so urged his friends on to make sure that he still had a lot of strength left when he fought Arachnid. He did, however, allow them to stop for lunch. After all, he wasn't the only one who needed strength to continue.  
  
As they ate their lunch, Rayman kept looking at the sword. It certainly was a work of art, but he really didn't know how to use it. But maybe, since he was drawing life from Chasm he was drawing knowledge, too? Or maybe using the sword would be like an instinct. He picked up the blade to examine it again, this time being more careful not to cut himself.  
  
"You'll know what to do when the time comes," Ly assured him, "That's how my grandfather made it. The sword will bind itself to you and allow you to use it however you want. It becomes your slave as long as you use it for good."  
  
Rayman smiled at her. "Not to worry," he assured her, "The only one I plan to hurt with this is Arachnid."  
  
"But Rayman," Globox started, speaking for the first time since learning of his friend's odd condition, "What about Chasm? Won't you have to--"  
  
Rayman shook his head gravely. "I can't do that, Globox. I couldn't use this to hurt Chasm! Not after it cost him so much to study it. To tell you the truth, I don't think I could hurt him at all, let alone kill him. I just wouldn't feel like I was doing the right thing." He looked up and forced himself to smile. "But let's not worry about that now." He stood and dusted himself off with one hand and held the sword with the other. "Let's just focus on saving Tily!"  
  
***  
  
"Come to me, my prey," Arachnid's low voice purred as he rested in his lair. He couldn't see Rayman, but a scout had informed him that he and his friends were drawing nearer to the mountain. It was, in fact, the same mountain that Arachnid had been trapped in, but one of his children had discovered a way out of it only a week ago. Arachnid could have chosen to relocate, but decided against it. He wanted Rayman and Ly to find him, after all. Yes, in only a day or two he could take their powers and then, since their bodies would be useless, he could eat them.  
  
But he wasn't counting on Rayman having the sword. While the scout had told him that Rayman was approaching, the scout hadn't seen the sheathed sword and didn't know that Chasm had been freed or that he even existed.  
  
***  
  
While the forest had changed greatly over the period he'd been gone, Chasm was thrilled to see that the Fairy Council had not. The structure continued to glow with mysterious radiance, lighting up the evening air around it. Since it was quite unlikely that it had changed on the inside anymore than it had on the outside, finding Dekum's hall was likely to be easy. Chasm remembered the lay-out as if he had only visited the day before.  
  
He received odd looks from a few residents as he made his way around, but no one stopped him. Chasm could feel his heart beat faster as he neared Dekum's hall. He just hoped that the old fairy would recognize him. Once he passed through the doors to the hall, it was all Chasm could do not to charge excitedly at the old fairy.  
  
There sat Dekum on what appeared to be a rather large, glowing mushroom. The old fairy had colors and stripes much like Ly's, but he had wings like Tily's, except crumpled and wrinkled, and a bushy tail. He wore a loose blue robe and held a gnarled staff in his hand. His face was weathered and wrinkled and he had a long, white beard, but his eyes still sparkled with the liveliness of all fairies. He stood slowly as Chasm approached him. He smiled and floated down from the mushroom over to him.  
  
"Ly contacted me mentally and told me you were coming," Dekum stated, his voice low and husky. "I have waited for your return with great anticipation, my child."  
  
The old fairy held his arms open and Chasm rushed into them, small tears of joy streaming down his face. At last, if only for a short while, he was home.  
  
***  
  
Rayman, Ly, and Globox stood in a row, looking solemnly up at the natural citadel that was Death Mountain, where Arachnid had been trapped for many years. The mountain was so tall and thin that it looked like a jagged dagger stabbing the night sky.  
  
"Before Arachnid tried to take over out world it was the most beautiful sight," Ly sighed, "It was once called Mt. Rose. But now."  
  
"It looks like the devil himself lives there," Rayman finished. "But maybe, once Arachnid is gone for good, it'll be beautiful again."  
  
"Maybe," Ly murmured, "Maybe after many centuries it can be what it once was. but let's rest now. It will be a long journey to the mountain's entrance and we need all the rest we can get." She looked at Rayman and he knew that she meant mostly him when she said "we".  
  
"We're coming Tily," Rayman murmured as he settled down to sleep.  
  
***  
  
A/N: Alright! I'll admit it! I have a serious case of writer's block! I'm sorry this chapter was so lame! Arachnid, Chasm, and Dekum are © to me. Steal them and pay.  
  
Update: Writer's Block all gone! Hopefully, the next chapter will be written and posted soon! 


	4. The Fairy Council and Death Mountain

Blade Saga  
Part Four: Death Mountain and the Fairy Council  
By Kat Warrior  
  
When Rayman woke up, he felt a strange sort of wave sweep over his body, taking away a great deal of his strength. He forced himself to sit up, a look of confusion on his face. He knew that he was losing life and strength to Chasm but still. that much so quickly? Surely there was an explanation.  
  
Ly was already awake, finishing making the meager meal they would have before their travel up Death Mountain. Rayman took a deep breath and stood. He felt a sudden dizziness, but forced himself to stay standing. He would have to learn to deal with the weakness. It was now as much a part of the mission as the sword that caused it.  
  
He picked up the blade and unsheathed it. It caught the morning sun, and the shining blue light of its surface seemed to be smiling at him, and telling him that all would be well and he could accomplish his mission. He could feel the sword submitting to his will just as well as could feel the weakness. Perhaps they could cancel each other out.  
  
***  
  
Neither Dekum nor Chasm had slept the night before. They had eaten a great meal and stayed up talking through the night about the sword and themselves. Even as the sun broke the dark of the night, they recalled Chasm's past.  
  
"I can't tell you how glad I was that you were so accepting when I arrived here," Chasm told the old fairy. "I remember it like it was yesterday. My parents sent me here because they thought my mind wasn't being stretched enough at home. They were so proud that I had passed your exam and would be allowed to live and learn here. They sacrificed so much to make sure I received a proper education. If only they were here now for me to thank."  
  
Dekum smiled. "I'm sure that wherever you family is, they're all smiling at you. They were proud of you in life, Chasm, and are even more so now. I know that you miss them, and they missed you when we thought you were lost forever. We both wish they were here right now to see you."  
  
Chasm sighed heavily. His heart ached for his mother, father, and siblings. But it was good to hear what the old fairy had to say. Dekum had always reminded him of his father. His father hadn't had the unnatural intelligence level that Chasm himself had been gifted with, but he had possessed and extensive amount of wisdom and acceptance. Both Dekum and his father had always offered sound advice, and Dekum had been like a father to him when he'd arrived at the Fairy Council.  
  
Chasm was about to say something when he felt a sudden shortness of breath. He grasped his chest and gasped heavily. Dekum rose from his seat and went to his younger friend. With a wave of his hand over Chasm's head, he took away the pain and exhaustion, but for only a short time.  
  
"There is another," he said quietly, "And I did not realize or remember until now. You and Rayman are not the only ones bound to this slow death and weakness." He rested his hand on Chasm's head, and bowed his head sadly. With the gift of empathy, he could feel every emotion Chasm had. "Rayman can't be any better off than you are. Hope is dwindling for us all."  
  
***  
  
Rayman, Ly, and Globox found an entrance to the core of the mountain around noon. The sun was at its peak and beating down mercilessly on the already weary travelers. Globox formed a small rain cloud and caused a cool sprinkle to fall over them and refresh them for a small while.  
  
While Rayman was refreshed by the cool shower (and did express his gratitude to Globox), it hadn't done anything for the weakness. He'd been too proud and shy to ask for help on their way up the mountain, but Ly had noticed that he looked exhausted and had insisted on carrying him most of the way.  
  
Rayman looked as his hand, feeling a sudden burning pain. It was the hand he had cut on his sword, and he realized that his body's ability to heal itself was thinning out with the rest of him. He ignored the pain and glanced over his shoulder at his comrades and put the sword in the sheath on his back. "Let's go."  
  
They walked single-file into the small entrance with Rayman in the front and a shaking, nervous Globox in the back. As soon as the darkness enveloped them, the circular mark on Rayman's stomach began to glow, but not as brightly as it had the day before, proving further that strength was leaving him.  
  
Globox let loose a startled cry when he and others saw several pairs of small lights moving about the vast cavern they had entered. Rayman was just as startled, but managed to remain calm. One set of lights had wondered near enough to him that he had been able to see it clearly. They were all spiders of different sizes, scurrying about and likely reporting to their leader.  
  
One rather large spider stopped right in front of Rayman, its amber eyes flashing with eagerness.  
  
"The Great Arachnid wishes to see you," its scratchy voice hissed. "He has been so greatly looking forward to seeing you that he had not allowed any of us to attack you." His voice displayed irritation at the last few words. Obviously, all of Arachnid's children had been looking forward to getting to kill Rayman and his friends themselves. "This way."  
  
Hesitantly, Rayman, Ly, and Globox followed the large spider. Since they didn't know their way around the inside of the mountain, they thought it was their safest bet.  
  
***  
  
Arachnid's eyes gleamed with pleasure when he saw the oldest of his children entering the hall trailed closely by Rayman, Ly, and the useless frog-like creature, Globox. The first two would serve his purpose greatly, but the last he could let his children had their way with.  
  
He slunk down the rocky wall of the cavern until all of his feet were on the floor and the three travelers could see him.  
  
Globox let out a terrified wail as he jumped a few feet into the air. Rayman's eyes widened but Ly remained calm. She was the only one who had been expecting what they saw. Arachnid wasn't just a spider, but more like a centaur with a spider's body. What would have been his thorax was the well-built body of a man with a slender face. He had short, dark gray hair and a beard, both of which were neatly combed and slicked back. He looked almost like an evil twin of Dekum. The human-like part of his body ended just bellow his navel and was formed into the abdomen of a spider. He had only six legs, but he also had two arms.  
  
"Surprised?" he asked, his voice a low hiss, "Surely you were expecting a mere spider. But I am more. I was a fairy once, you see. But I have become greater than both spider and fairy, and my children will someday be the same."  
  
It was Arachnid's turn to look shocked when Rayman drew the sword. In the dark of the cavern, the blade glowed by itself, as if threatening Arachnid on its own. The spider-taur let out a holler of fury, directed partly at his children for not reporting the blade's existence to him. When he had calmed his anger, he spoke to Rayman directly.  
  
"So that is why," he said, "I have been feeling weakness lately. I didn't occur to me until now that you might have found the sword. You see, I am bound to it because I was defeated by it. And now I can tell that you are bound to it, too, but we aren't the only ones, are we? No matter. Now I have even more reason to kill you once I have your power. But this means that after you I must eat the other. And then I shall have to kill Dekum as well. I cannot rest until all who opposed me are gone from this planet."  
  
Rayman, Ly, and Globox all jumped just as Arachnid's foot struck the ground where they had been standing. While they were scattered, Arachnid turned his head to Ly and a bright, yellow light came from his mouth and surrounded the fairy. She cried out sharply as the light formed a dome around her and pinned her to the cavern floor.  
  
Globox had hit head on a rock and so was lying on the ground unconscious. That left only Rayman to deal with. Arachnid turned to him, amber eyes glowing with twisted pleasure. This was turning out to be easier than he had thought it would be. He had forgotten about his increasing weakness.  
  
Arachnid's foot came down and Rayman jumped again. He slowed his dissension with his helicopter-like hair and grabbed onto the rocky wall of the cavern. Despite the fact that his body felt like a lead weight, he tried to climb. He had to evade Arachnid until he came up with a plan. But he was trying to climb with one hand because he was holding the sword, and he couldn't continue for long.  
  
***  
  
Chasm and Dekum had become solemn when Chasm had started having trouble breathing. Chasm had fallen asleep under the watchful eye of the old fairy. He looked rather peaceful as he slept on a large, glowing mushroom with a giant leaf as a blanket. Dekum sighed and bowed his head. He wanted Rayman to succeed and for his granddaughter to be safe, but it brought his heart great pain to know that either Chasm or Rayman would have to die, and he could do nothing to help. He almost wished that he had never made the sword.  
  
"Please bring her back," Dekum murmured, "We'll have to see what happens from there, won't we?"  
  
***  
  
Rayman couldn't stand it anymore. He could hardly move, but he just couldn't stop. He had to keep away from Arachnid. But the spider-fairy was slowing down quite noticeably, too. His motions were as slow as Rayman's, and since he was larger his labored breathing was easier to hear.  
  
Rayman looked at the sword as he flew down to a ledge. The sword. he had to use it somehow! He glanced to where Ly still was, trapped beneath the dome of yellow light. And idea came to Rayman's head and he simply dropped to the cavern floor. He jogged to the fairy as fast as his tired feet could carry him and sliced through the amber shield with his sword. It gave way like butter under a knife, but he paid that no heed. He lifted Ly's head into his free hand.  
  
"Ly, what should I do?" he whispered, "I need some advice."  
  
Ly forced her eyes open and looked wordlessly at him. She was even weaker than he was, but she was determined to help him. Despite Rayman's protesting, she gathered energy into her hands and lifted them in Arachnid's direction.  
  
"Wind your fist up," she commanded feebly. Rayman obeyed, and the hand of his that held the sword began to spin at a great rate. Ly fired her own shot and hit the still-struggling Arachnid in the side of the head with it. He howled in pain and brought his hands to his head, making an opening for Rayman's attack.  
  
Rayman released his hand and it shot right at Arachnid. The sword imbedded itself deep into his chest, taking Rayman's hand with it. Arachnid howled again, this time a terrifying, bone-chilling roar as he melted into a black puddle on the cavern floor.  
  
Rayman watched all of this with wide eyes, still holding Ly. She had gone limp, but a quick check of her pulse let Rayman know that she was still alive. As his hand made its way back to him with the bloodied sword, he turned to see Globox walking up behind him, rubbing his head.  
  
"You need to look after Ly for just a short moment," he told him, "I need to go find Tily. She must think that we couldn't get here to rescue her."  
  
"Roger that, captain!" Globox agreed with a salute just before picking Ly up. Rayman smiled proudly at his frog-like friend and jogged off, hoping he would find Tily soon. He had a strong urge to leave Death Mountain.  
  
Had it not been for the glowing ring on his stomach, Rayman's journey would have been much more difficult. He walked from one huge room to another, calling Tily's name and looking up at the ceiling every now and then, wondering if she was in a cage suspended from it.  
  
Finally, when he was almost too exhausted to move and about to give up and turn around to go another way, he heard a small voice call a reply to his cries. He looked around the cavern carefully, looking for a way to climb up. He kept talking to her as he searched, and even after he found a rather steep route up, he continued their conversation. By the time he reached the top and was able to see Tily's cage hanging from the ceiling, he was out of breath from yelling and exhausted from climbing. He rested for about fifteen minutes, listening to Tily speak to him and replying every now and then.  
  
Finally, he gathered enough strength and fired a fist at Tily's cage door lock. It burst and the door swung open, squeaking as it did so. Tily fluttered out eagerly and landed on the ledge Rayman was resting on. Since he was too tired to helicopter safely to the floor, Tily picked him up without a word and used her small wings to land them both safely. Once they landed, Rayman used the light of the ring on his stomach to find the way he had come in. Eager to be reunited with her sister, Tily picked him up and ran, but followed his directions.  
  
*** Author Note: Rejoice my brethren, for I have completed yet another chapter, and it was actually eventful! So Arachnid is gone and dead and that problem is solved, so Rayman and Co. need to get home and settle the whole mess with Chasm before it's too late. And I'm making no promises on when the next chapter will be done. Arachnid, his children, Chasm, and Dekum are © me. All others are © Ubi Soft Entertainment. 


	5. So It Ends

Blade Saga  
Part Five: So It Ends  
By Kat Warrior  
  
The group of four hurried to get out of Death Mountain and then went as fast as they could up the mountain they had come over. Rayman did his best to run on his own, but he simply couldn't do it. Ly picked him and the others up with her telekinesis and flew them over the mountain and then down the other side to the edge of the forest. Dekum and Chasm were waiting for them at the forest's edge.  
  
Chasm wasn't standing, but lying on his back on the ground and staring at the sky in his exhaustion. Dekum was sitting beside him, one of his wrinkled hands resting on his friend's forehead. The old fairy looked up when he sensed Ly and the others approaching.  
  
As soon as her feet touched the ground, Tily bolted to her grandfather. He held his arms out to her and she all but flung herself into them, sniffling and crying with joy as she did so.  
  
"Oh Grandfather!" she sobbed, "I thought I would never see you again!" She buried her head in his chest and cried a little bit more, forgetting about everyone else.  
  
Ly, Rayman, and Globox were not long in catching up to her. Once they reached Dekum and Chasm, Ly set Rayman down. He wobbled in his attempt to stand, but somehow managed to stay on his feet. When Chasm saw him, he stood, refusing Dekum's offered assistance.  
  
"We both know what we must do," Chasm said to Rayman. He turned to Chasm. "Put the blade on the ground between us. When you give the word, we can both try to grab it. That will be our battle's beginning."  
  
Rayman handed the blade to Dekum. The old fairy placed it on the forest floor between the two of them. When the word was given, each combatant dove for it. Rayman was a fighter and naturally had faster reflexes, so he reached it first, but when Chasm was open for attack he hesitated enough that Chasm was able to seize it from him with slight ease.  
  
Chasm pinned Rayman to the ground, his motions indicating that he was quite irritated; Rayman wasn't really even trying. Just the same he leaned over his opponent, sword poised for the final blow. Rayman sadly closed his eyes.  
  
And then everyone heard Tily cry out in protest. All eyes were on her as she tried to flutter to the battle, her small wings flapping desperately. She called out Rayman's name with huge tears dripping from her chin. Ly came up swiftly behind her and put her arms around her younger sister. The older female rebuked her gently, reminding her that this was Rayman's battle and his alone.  
  
But inside, Ly felt the same way Tily did. She wanted nothing more than to help Rayman by throwing Chasm off him and then taking him into her arms. But unlike her young sibling she had self control enough not to.  
  
Chasm paused and looked at all those around him. Tily, teary-eyed and sniffling, Globox peeking through his fingers as his hands covered his eyes, Ly with her eyes sad and on the brink of tears herself, Dekum with his head silently bowed, and Rayman, who was looking at his friends apologetically. Chasm could tell that Rayman was practically laying his life down for him, yet it didn't seem right somehow. He stepped back from his opponent.  
  
Rayman sat up, thoroughly confused. He looked at Chasm to see that he looked sad and yet... calm? Perhaps even satisfied?  
  
"I should have seen it earlier," Chasm told him. "Rayman, you're needed here more than I am. I am out of balance with the world since I should have died years ago. My loved ones have passed on. But you have loved ones on this world that need you, and you belong where you are." He looked at the sword in his hand as it shone with a comforting blue glow.  
  
Realization struck Rayman and he stared at Chasm now in shock. He jumped up to protest what was about to happen, but he was too late. Chasm tightened his grip on the sword and then ran the blade into his torso. Rayman reached him about the time he collapsed on the ground, the very point of the blade visible through his back. Before Rayman could really react to this site, the glow from the sword increased a thousand fold – enough that it became blinding to all present and engulfed both of them.  
  
When he was able to open his eyes again, Rayman realized that he wasn't on the ground, but suspended in the air. The space around him was a swirling pattern of nearly all colors imaginable, but primarily a soft blue – the same blue as the sword's glow.  
  
Chasm was before him, looking completely unharmed. He was smiling, seeming oblivious to the fact that he had just died. Rayman heard Chasm's voice, but didn't see his mouth move.  
  
"It is done," he informed the blonde, "All is as it should be. I am going to where I ought to be, and you are staying where you are needed." He bowed to Rayman respectfully. "You should wake up now, and enjoy the life ahead of you."  
  
While this was happening inside Rayman's mind, everyone had gathered around where he and Chasm had been. Chasm was completely gone, and they sword lay on its side on the ground, its glow completely diminished. Rayman was lying on his stomach with his head turned slightly to the side. He was still save for his body moving as he breathed. A breeze came through the forest, rustling grass, leaves, and Rayman's sunshine-colored hair.  
  
Ly, who had released Tily moments ago, lifted him into her slender arms and held him close to her. He didn't stir really, but he appeared more relaxed and content as she patted his downy hair. Tears of joy ran down the sides of Ly's face and landed on his nose and hair.  
  
"Thank goodness," she breathed, "It's all over..."  
  
Fin  
  
A/N: Yes, I'm sure I'm going to receive a good talking to about how long this took me to finish. Sorry, people. But I did it! Yes, this chapter was short, but there just isn't any more to be said. At least not as far as this story goes. Hopefully next time I do a Rayman fan fiction, it'll all be finished in one shot. I hope you all enjoyed it, and I offer sincere apologies for taking ages and ages.  
  
Dekum, the sword, and Chasm © Kat Warrior. Not to be used without her permission  
  
All other characters © Ubisoft Entertainment. 


End file.
